1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel vinyl compound, a hydrophilic-hydrophobic thermally reversible macromolecular compound, a method for the production of the compound, and a thermally reversible type macromolecular composition. More particularly, this invention relates to a vinyl compound usable for the production of a hydrophilic-hydrophobic thermally reversible macromolecular compound, a hydrophilic-hydrophobic thermally reversible macromolecular compound useful as material for light shields, temperature sensors, adsorbents, toys, interior materials, pastes for resist printing, displays, separation membranes, and mechanochemical materials, a method for efficient production of the compound, and a thermally reversible macromolecular composition containing the macromolecular compound.
2. Prior Art Statement
Some of the water-soluble macromolecular compounds exhibit a specific behavior of reversible solubility, i.e. a phenomenon in which such a compound on being mixed with water is precipitated and consequently caused to opacify the aqueous medium at a specific temperature (transition temperature or clouding point) and is dissolved and allowed to clarify the aqueous medium at a temperature below the specific temperature. These water-soluble macromolecular compounds are called hydrophilic-hydrophobic thermally reversible macromolecular compounds and have attracted attention in recent years for their usefulness as mechanochemical materials, pastes for resist printing, and separation membranes.
The thermally reversible macromolecular compounds of the foregoing type heretofore known to the art as include partially saponified polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl methyl ether, methyl cellulose, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl methyloxazolidinone, and polyacrylamide derivatives.
Among the thermally reversible macromolecular compounds mentioned above, polyacrylamide derivatives are particularly useful because they are stable in water and producible relatively inexpensively. Specifically, poly-N-ethylacrylamide, poly-N-n-propyl(meth)acrylamides, poly-N-isopropyl(meth)acrylamides, poly-N-cyclopropyl(meth)acrylamides, poly-N,N-diethylacrylamide, poly-N-methyl-N-ethylacrylamide, poly-N-methyl-N-n-propylacrylamide, poly-N-methyl-N-isopropylacrylamide, poly-N-acryloylpiperidine, poly-N-acryloylpyrrolidine, poly-N-tetrahydrofurfuryl(meth)acrylamide, poly-N-methoxypropyl(meth)acrylamide, poly-N-ethoxypropyl(meth)acrylamide, poly-N-isopropoxypropyl(meth)acrylamide, poly-N-ethoxyethyl(meth)acrylamide, poly-N-(2,2-dimethoxyethyl)-N-methylacrylamide, poly-N-1-methyl-2methoxyethyl(meth)acrylamide, poly-N-1-methoxymethylpropyl(meth)acrylamide, poly-N-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-N-methylacrylamide, and poly-N-8-acryloyl-1,4-dioxa-8-azaspiro[4.5]decane, are known for example.
Ito, one of the inventors of the subject patent application, is also a co-inventor of a hydrophilichydrophobic thermally reversible type polymer having repeating units of the following formula and the invention has been patented under U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,848. ##STR1##
These thermally reversible macromolecular compounds have transition temperatures in specific ranges of their own. It has been desired to develop a thermally reversible macromolecular compound having a transition point over a wider range suitable for practical purposes.
An object of this invention is to provide a thermally reversible macromolecular compound having a transition temperature different from that of any of the conventional countertypes.
Another object of this invention is to provide a vinyl compound suitable for the production of the thermally reversible macromolecular compound mentioned above.